Hoist



, July 25, 1944. P. LAWLER HOIST Filed June 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANK P. LAWLER y F. P. LAWLER HOIST Filed June 5, l942 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v FRANK P.LAWLER Patented July 25, 1944 Frank P. Lawler, Chicago, 111., assignor of onethird to Charles H. Grant, San Francisco, Calil'., one-third to Frank P. Lawler, Chicago, Ill., and one-third to Paul J. Tyler, Oroville,

Calif.

Application June 5, 1942, Serial No. 45363 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a hoist and especially to a modification or improvement on the structure disclosed in my copendin'g application entitled Hoist, Serial No; 444,653 filed May 27, 1942.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of hoists; to provide a hoist which is adapted to be directly driven by 'a high speed prime mover such as an electric motor; to pro-. vide a motor driven hoist which is substantial in construction and which will require a minimum of space; to provide a hoist structure in which the driving motor is adapted to be mounted within the hoist drum and frame supporting the drum; to provide means for anchoring the motor housing against rotation within the hoist drum; to provide a frame which forms a mounting and support not only for the hoist drum and the motor within the same, but also for a reduction gear drive interposed between the motor shaft and the hoist drum, and further, to provide a motor mounting and coupling which permits ready insertion or removal of the motor for inspection and repairs.

This invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the hoist; and

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken in line II-II of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly Fig. 1, A indicates in general an elon gated frame consisting of a pair of ring shaped end flanges 2 and 3 which are connected by a longitudinally extending base section 4- (see Fig. 2) and a plurality of barrel-type arms 5, the base section being in turn provided with foot lugs 6 whereby the frame as a whole may be secured to any suitable support. Extending radially from the base section 4 and the arms is a disc or spider arms I, and supported thereby is a bearing 8. This bearing is disposed adjacent one end of the frame, and a second' bearing 9 is disposed at the opposite end, this latter bearing being formed integral with or secured to a head member I!) which is secured by bolts or the like to the end flange 3. Mounted within the frame and journalled on the bearings 8 and 9 is a cable drum II at one end of which is formed a brake drum l2. Journalled within the bearing 8 is a sleeve l4 and secured to one end thereof is a brake drum l5. Formed on the opposite end of the sleeve is an annular flange l6, and carried thereby is an internal ring gear II. A similar ring gear I8 is secured to the cable drum and both ring gears are in constant mesh with a pair of connected spur gears l'lc and'IBc, said spur gears being journalled on an eccentric [9 which is keyed or otherwise secured on a drive shaft B journalled at one end in sleeve l4 and at the 7 same frame arm and are connectedto the free ends of the respective brake bands. The internal ring gears l1 and 18, together with the eccentric I9, and the connected spur gears llc and lBc journalled on the eccentric form a reduction gear drive whereby power is transmitted from the drive shaft B to drive the cable drum. By this gear arrangement a high ratio of reduction'is made possible, and a reduction of thirty to one or more is readily obtainable. Thus, it becomes possible to connect the drive shaft B directly to a high speed prime mover such as an electric motor or the like. In the present instance an electric motor is emloyed and the motor is mounted directly within the drum barrel and the frame A supporting the same. The housing C of the motor is supported at its outer end in bearing 9, and is keyed as indicated at 25 to said bearing to anchor the housing against rotation. The opposite or inner end of the motor housing is supported on the bearing 26 formed on the end wall 21 of the hoist drum, and the shaft D of the motor is coupled to the drive shaft B by coupling 28.

I 'In actual operation with power transmitted from the motor to the shaft B, if it is desired to haul in on the cable indicated at 29, it is only necessary for the operator to apply the brake band 2| on the drum l5 by means of a lever 22, r

which it is secured. The reduction speed between the drive shaft B and the ring gear I. will, of course, depend on the ratio between the gears II, He and la and m. This reduction may drum or cable speed may thus be obtained.

The hoist here shown is constructed and designed to permit two or more hoist units to be connected end to end in a minimum of space and to permit the drive shafts of two adjacent units to be coupled together as indicated at 3 in Fig. 1, or to permit the drive shaft of one unit to be coupled to the motor shaft D, as indicated at 3|. With this purpose in mind it will be noted that the frame A is so constructed that the, head member Ill may be secured to either or both ends thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, thus making it possible to connect the hoist units, to the right or left of any one unit so that the cable drums may be rotated in the same or in opposite directions, using a single motor to power all the hoist units so connected.

It will be apparent from the construction shown that whentwo or more hoist units are coupled end to end, that by changing the gear ratios, that is, the ratio of the gears II, He and i8, I80, that the drum speeds of the various coupled hoist units can be varied over a wide range, thus permitting adjacent hoists to deliver varying drum or cable speeds to suit different service requirements.- It should furthermore be noted that all of this can be accomplished with a single prime mover driven at a constant speed.

The end to end coupling of adjacent units, as described, reduces space requirements, but a still further space reduction is accomplished by placing the prime mover or motor within the hoist drum, as shown in Fig. 1. The reduction gear drive is similarly placed within the drum and it is thus obvious that the frame A forms a support not only for the hoist. drum and the motor driving it, but also for the reduction gear drive interposed between the drum and the drive shaft. The rotor of the motor may be constructed with fan blades, such asindicatedat 32 and 33, and a constant circulation of the air may thus be maintained through the brake drums, the cable drum and the motor housing to prevent heating of the motor, as indicated by the air circulation arrows on Fig. 1.

For the purpose of simplicity independent lever controls are shown to actuate the brake bands but, a single lever control, such as shown in my former Patent No. 2,242,193, may be employed to operate the two brake bands of each hoist unit. Also a single lever control for two adjacent hoist units may be used as shown in my Patent No. 2,199,668.

In order to make the motor readily movable for inspection, repairs, etc., it will be noted that the cable drum II is provided with aremovable drum head Illa. With this structure, removal of the readily thirty to one, or greater, and any motor is accomplished as follows: First remove the head member ID together with key 25, then the drum head Illa, after which the motor may be freely removed by pulling it outwardly away from the coupling 28, installation being accomplished by reversing the operation.

The reduction gear drive is, as will be noted, enclosed at one side by the drum end 21 and on the opposite side by a removable cover 21a, and as such may be packed with grease and will exclude all foreign matter.

While this and other features of my invention have been more or less specifically described and illustrated, I nevertheless wish it understood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, and that the materials and finish of the various parts employed may be such as the'experience of the manufacturer or varying conditions of use may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hoist of the character described, a frame, a bearing in the frame adjacent one end thereof, a head member secured to the opposite end of the frame, a bearing on said head, a cable drum journalled on both bearings, a motor mounted within the drum, said motor having a housing and a rotor, an extension on one end of the motor housing extending into the bearing on the head member, means for securing the motor housing and extension against rotation, an extension on the opposite end of the motor housing, a bearing on the cable drum to receive and support said last named extension, and means for transmitting power from the rotor of the motor to drive the cable drum.

2. In a hoist of the character described, a frame, a bearing in the frame adjacent one end thereof, a detachable head. member secured to the opposite end of the frame, a bearing on said head, a cable drum having a drum head at each end and journalled on said bearings, the drum' head adjacent the head member being detachable, a motor within the drum, said motor having a housing and a rotor and shaft journalled therein, a sleeve-like extension on one end of the motor housing and extending into the bearing on the head member, a key in said bearing anchoring the sleeve and motor housing against rotation, a sleeve-like extension on the opposite end of the motor housing, a bearing on the cable drum to receive and support said last named extension, a drive shaft, a coupling between the rotor shaft of the motor and the drive shaft, and a reduction gear drive interposed between the drive shaft and the cable drum to drive the same.

FRANK P. LAWLER. 

